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INTRODUCTORY 


¥N  the  Summer  of  1913  a  Committea  of  Red  House  Church  was 
*  appointed  to  receive  funds  for  the  erection  of  a  new  building, 
And  due  to  the  diligence  of  tho  Committee  and  the  liberality  of 
the  people,  over  $7,000.00  was  raised,  Mr.  H.  C.  Llnthlcum,  of 
Durham,  N.  C.  submitted  plana  for  the  building  which  we  ac- 
cepted, and  Mr.  Henry  Fields,  of  Roxboro,  N.  C.  wa3  given  the  con- 
tract for  building.  A  few  changes  were  made  in  the  original  plan, 
which  added  $1,000  to  the  cost  of  the  building.  A  number  friends 
gave  time  and  labor  to  the  getting  of  material  and  the  result — the 
building  which  we  today  Dedicate  to  God  as  a  place  of  worship. 

By  God's  Providance,  for  over  a  hundred  years  the  Gospel  ©f 
Jesus  Christ  has  been  preached  at  this  Church,  and  may  the 
effort  of  God's  people  in  building  this  edifice  result  in  the  con- 
tinuation of  the  preaching  of  the  saving  Gospel  at  this  place  for 
ftges  to  come.  < 


^.  R.  CLAYTOR,  Pastor. 


Septembsr  1, 1918. 


V 


SERMON;.  •  - 

Preached  jit  Re4  House  (Church  at  the  Ufiyeiiing  of  .  A 
_y  :  -  : --^JVlonumjeint-to  tht  ^^crry  of  the  .'•^^^.^--V'  'a;^^ 
-S^- :  ■    Rey^.-Hugli' McAden^^^: ^".r 

i^'Tbo;  'that  )in  wUe  pbi^U  abloa-  &3  ihe>rl^htnesa  of  (be  Srmamen^:  And 
tbsl?.  tlia^  tura  pttaii;  io  rishtctop»se9«'l  &^  the  stara  fa:*  ever  and 'pver." — 

*'Tha  rifirhteo^i  ihaU  ^  In  eveirlastiBg  rem«]nbpaae«i.!*— Pal.  113  ;  6 

It  Ufb  siiigTiUr  co-Uacident  ^}»t  on  this  ypry  day  Oae  iiundred 
and  fifty -elKbt  years  ago,  the  feev.  HuRh  McAden  preached  his 
firsti  sermon,  a  Pioneer  Presby  teriaa  Missionary  in  North  Caro- 
lina. That  serrsoQ  yt%s  preacbtdd  at  the  bouse  of  Soioman  Debow 
oa  the  Hlco  River,  not  so  very  far  from  thla  place,  Aug.  3,  1755. 
And  today  wa  are  assembled  b^re  to  do  honor  to  the  name  and 
taemory  of  tbab  good  p,ud  faitlif ul  Servant  of  God,  who  has  lonpf 
since  passed'aw^y.  On  the  ?lst'of  January,  1781,  more  tt^an  One 
handred  and  Si|iirty-two  years  p^o,  there  was  a  funeral  or  burial  ser- 
vice here:  The  Rey.  Hugh  MoAden,  having  died  the  previous  day, 
^a>a  buried.  There  are  now  nq  liyln^  witnesses  of  the  scenes  of 
that  dayr  it  wi^a  cold  winter  a  day  of  sadness  and  gloom:  the 
people  were  nol  oaly  distressed  at  the  fieatb  of  their  faithful  Min- 
\s^v,  but  tlia  country  was  in  tiie  throes  of  the  great  Revolutionsury 
War!   At  tki3  very  time  this  section  of  the  country  was  overma 

'two  conte44ing  armies,  the  army  of  Gen.  Greene  vvas  retreating 
ao?oea  th^  Dao  River,  and  he  y?as  closely  followed  by  the  army  of 
Lord  Cornwallia,  and  the  latter  ^aa  burning  the  home*  and  pjilag- 
Sng  the  farma  p?  the  people,  J'eaving  desolation  ,  in  their  track. 
Within  two  wdeks  of  this  burial  day,  a  dcita<?bmenfi  of  British  sol- 
diers had  jsncamped  on  the  grounds  and  in  the  yard  of  Red  Ho^sae 
Cbatch  and  while  hare'many  cruel  depredations  were  committed 
ia  ti^ia  n3!jjJ^bi)rhood.  They  ramaiaed  here  until  Gen.  Greene  re- 
croased  the  Dan  Blver,  and^ngaged  the  Brltlsi^  army  in  the  fa- 
ssoua  battle  of  Guilford  Court  House,  March  14,  1781,  It  is  said 
that  the  British  had  a  partlcujar  spite  qr ,  animosity  -  against ,  the 


L 


few  Pre3byfc«r!{Wi  l^inlsters  in  the  country,  because  they 
wsra  •  the  counselkwa,  and  the  chief  leaders-^ of  the  peo- 
ple iu  the  jffreat  caaae  ;  of  i  American  Independence, 
Therefore,  fihC  t  bpuae  ot  Mr.  >  McAdeu  was  ransack* 
ed  aad  j^arned,  andj^Ubt  his  books  and  papers  and  property  was 
destroyed,  excei)*  ja  ifew  small  articles  of  small  yaloa  and  th«  great- 
er part  of  bla  Jopmal,  which  ^2v«j»j?i*teain  big  early  life! '  I  have 
Been  th^  bouse  ef  Krf.  jam'es-JE^a,  of  Danville,  Va.,  y?ho  Is  ^ 
lineal  descendant  of  the  foa?rtb  g«aeration  from  Mr.  MaAden,  pk 
aroall  t»bla  used  aa  a  Oandle  Stand,  and  a  mended  China  Cup  which 
t»ai*  ebofc  and  shattered  from  ihe  hand  of  a  servant  on  the  day  of 
th©  destruction,  The  house  of  Dr.  Galdwell  !n  Guilford  County  met 
the  ssame  fate.  Bat  not  satisfied  with  the  deatructipn  of  Mr,  Mc- 
Aden'^  property,  tradition  says  tha*  hia  new-made  grave  was  pro. 
f&oely  ppened  and  his  body  taken  up.  and  mutilated!  It  la  said 
^hat  ia  re-fllliag  the  ^frav&the  y^orlf  was  not  more  than  half  don«, 
bence  the  explanation  of  the  sink  in  ihe  ground  which  has  so  con- 
upkj^oasly  markeo  hia  resting  place  for  so  many  years-  If  this 
tradition  U  true^  It  protea  concloilrely,  the  fact  of  Mr.  McAden's 
patriotism  to  bis  coontry,  and  of  hia  great  influence  among  the 
people.  But  his  &obIe  spirit  bad  fled  to  God.  far  beyond  the  reach 
oX  Si  1  enemies,     •^-'-^ -,  ;  :  :  ".i-V^'-'^'' 

Allow  me  to  say  just  here,  that  under  all  these  circumstances,  I 
do  n9t  tblnk  li  at  all  strange^pr  surprisinp  that  his  grave  remained 
aiasoarked,  as  thej^raybliSd  on^iuStil  all  his  immediate  "^descen- 
*c2?»!4»  bad  passed  ^way,  But  he  Was  not  forgotten,  for,  the  Lord 
hasii  saldr  "They  that  be  wise  ahall  shiae  aa  the  brighfcnsss  of  the 
Sfmament,  and  they  that  turn  mai^y  to  yif^hteousness  as  the  stars 
ti»  ^TST  fknd  evevi  And  the  righjeous  shall  be  in  everlasting  re- 
tnembrance.'-  •  '  '-\-  -  r- 

May  we  Bot  apply  theae  ScriptTiresJfcgday,  in  speaking  of  this 
grea^  ^nd  good  rngu^!  Behold!  after  a  lapse  of  aearj^  one  buadred 
and  thirty-three  yjBara.^ji  fe^  o?  his  descendants,  ^ith  others,  and 
notably  among  tb^ffl.  Mrs., Frances  McAden  Supapjey,  of  Obar- 
ictti^,  ,N.^  C.,  an4  tb^  ,Tdb.n  Mc'Aden  Roae.  D.O,,  of  Laurinburg, 
N.  C,  have  generqasly  'and  kiti^jv  provided  the  msana,  and  nsade 
poB3ibl&  the  unveiling  of  this  beautiful  monument  today.  All 
bon«r  and  prnise  to  tbam,      ■  -     .  ,  \ 


4 


Scoiptairf  I  am  nsinj?  today  gives  u»  a^  pictnie 

of  a  tyiae'aatt  ao4^ia/SiSward,  aa  distinct  from  an  unwise  man  and 
V  bla  i^Wi^rdi  j|:|>lo|nre  ci  a  piona  pan,  as  disLinct-from  a  -  mefgly 
religion*  maQ(v»^pk}^are  of  th<>  man  who  seeks  to  saye  othar  people 
'    and  not  hlmBeji  ool;t  and  lam  sure  Mr.  McAden  wa«  a  Scriptur- 
t~  allyt  jvlse  man.  :•  rribe'iOhorcb  of  0od  In  all  ages  ^^aa  bad  Ita  sfaiatng 
'-a«ai^and  l?rtUi»iUk^»|i^    but  the  thins?  tihat  made,tbem  so?7ass?en-  - 

-  <uiaeCbr!aViaa  S»rfJCB^  &no^that|?niJrTvte<iomU  "to  know  God 
J  r^an4  ?lftio8  Ohrtai  irhem  he  bat3^fl«rnt,'';buk  to  t«ach  men  ^bat  "vyla- 

dbiA  |iq4  l^ttd^^^lP  is  ibe  ^raaj^eat  wprkonjeartb,  A&d 

r  those  i^bMl^}  ^biii  shall  sbiaa  as  tba  briffhlnesa  of  t^he  ^rmament ' 

-  •  -  an^  8i^^tb«.Staw  Ibreyjpp.  Of  coofse  we  know  ^hla  reward  comes 
l^itbriodgh  the  iiiaip(^jalio&  of  the  aun  of  rIgbteoiBsness,  the  Lord 

V  Jesu a  ChriaiivJaaij  as  wo  kpow  ti»«  brilliancy  of  the  heavens  is 
?  pnjdqc«d  JtbroajUli  |ba  iilumipatlon  of  the  natural  Sua,  by  which 
fffet  a  claaror  vtsion  of  the  heat'isoly  host,  so  under  the  shining 
1^^  of  Ohrlat  the  faithful  Serrant  of  God  peta  a  clearer  vision  than 
others  of  love,  hopa,  joy  and  pesc«,  and  even  of  time  itself  which 
rolla  oa  foye?«p.  The  reflection  of  brilliancy  of  this  reward  iQ  our 
^   llv^a  la  like  thai  oi  th«  stars,  it  ii^ea  oa  forever  and  e?er.  And 

-  the  e«rvica  thaVbTiofft  thia  rawardl  is  anything  but  selflsbhesa,  it 
I*  not  beinfr  wjjolly  abaorbed  in  qnp's  self,  but  in  reachiaj?ont  and 

:-  a^?ing.  ptbers.  . There  is  no  jpyppathy,  no /love,  no  wisdom 
.  .and  no  help  in  itia  tha  wisdom  of  'the  !*hid  taient" 

whicli  baa  alway a  curbed  the  world  and  hi^  peyer  led  a  single  soul 
tKrOhrtat,  :;  ^^  Mwier  haa'alwayd  called  fo!?'nj^  not  only 

'  Itnow  their  dtttyr  jsafc  who  do  it,  aad  do  i%  pa^eltiably,   I  think  Mr. 
;^^^M«Adea  was  febja  sort  of  man,  and' did  fibis  kiad  of  Service  in  his 
'  day;        '  ^  .  -  -  /.         .  \  . 

Moreover,  tbia  |cind  of  Servioa  baa  a  relatlva  reward  in  this 
world.f  'Thera^cartainly  is  a  reward  in  this  world.  There  certain- 
ly ia  a  genuine  r«^ard  oThappinfesa  in  trying?  to  tarp  men  from 

-  .  ain  to  righteoupnaaa,  and  reward  ia  not  conflned'to'  the  Service, 

but  la  the  ey«a  of  those  who  are  ^uraed  to  righteoasness  the  help- 
ar  shines  as  a  mpdel  man.  Thioij  of  the  shining  names  of  the  past, 
of  Calvlh,  Luther,  Knox,  Henry,  VV^BsIey,  Whitfield,  Baxter,  Pay  son, 

-  and  men  like  Mo  Aden,  and  scores  of  others,  6  how  they  skined  in 
the' eatimatlOTf  oftbe  thousands  tnade^lad  by  tham!   Thikk  of 

.  Jbs'us,  O  \ttyif  ha  shlned  in  th^'isistlmatlon  of  Mary  and  Martha' 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2014 


https://archive.org/details/unveilingofmonumOOcrai 


and  the  muUitaes  who  sat  at  his  feet  while  on  earth,  and  of  the 
raillions  since  thent  Think  of  jour  own  godly  parents  if  you  had 
such,  and  of  the  long  list  of  Ministers  and  Elders  who  served  God 
in  this  noble  old  Red  House  Church,  and  O  how  they  shine  in  your 
raeraory  and  estimation  today!  In  the  long  list  of  Ministers  of 
R«f<l  House  Church  the  name  of  Hugh  McAden  stands  first:  His 
name  also  stands  first  in  the  long  li3t  of  the  ministers  of  Orange 
Presbytery,  the  first  and  oldest  Presbyterian  Organization  of  a 
Chnrcb  Court  in  North  Carolina.  Then  comes  the  names  of  Will- 
Moore,  James  H.  Kowman,  Hugh  Shaw;  John  McLean,  A.  D. 
|tt<»tgomery,  Georee  W.  Ferrill.  and  again  A.  D.  Montgomery,  N. 
fi  Harding,  John  Paisley,  8.  A.  Stanfield,  T.  U.  Faucette,  M.  McG. 
i;#Yi«lds,  P  C.  Morton,  Joseph  Evans,  E.  H.  Harding,  and  your 
r^-r*»ent  beloved  pastor  N.  R.  Clay^r. 
^hy  do  all  these  names  shine  in  your  raemory  and  estimation 

tt  is  because  of  the  relative  rewards  of  service  done  by  them 
'  Ood  and  mon.    And  while  the  reward  is  measured  in  propor- 
to  the  service  done,  yet  this  is  not  always  apparent  in  this 
■*-^?-!rJ.   but     "up  j'onder"    aH-'Of  them   "shall  shine  as  the 
.  --?j5:htn*»ss  of  the  firmament,  and  as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever." 

it  ».s  to  be  deplored  that  we  have  so  little  data,  and  scarcely  any 
sK;*r«rd»,  touching  the  life  and  labors  of  the  Rev.  Hugh  McAden, 
There  is  no  living  witness,  and  his  Journal,  which  was  written 
his  early  life,  is  about  all  that  remaiiia.    We  can  read,  however, 
*«tween  the  linos'Of  hts  Journal  and  understand  much  of  his  life 
*=!k4  charactor.    Ho  evidently  was  the  common""  people's  man , 
^•^Jcjng  no  attempt  at  great  worldly  things,  but  always  faithful  in 
'  •SI   Master's  work.    It  is  plain  that  he  was  a  noble  and  brave 
■--^rted  man,  a  spiritually  minded  man,  possessing  a  wonderful 
il  power,  and  in  the  face  of  great  dangers  and  difficulties,  eaer- 
^ing  an  unwavering  faith  in  the  Lor4  asthia  guiding  star. 
Mr.  McAden  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  about  thayear  1715,  per- 
■  sps   a   little  later.  anU  was  educated  at  the  old  Princeton,  N.  J. 
■le  was  licensed  to  preach  by  New  Castle  Pre.'^bytery  in  the  spring 
■  1754.    He  was  appointed  a  Mis.«*ionary  to  the  South,  to  vigifc  the 
acant  congregations  in  North  Carolina,  and  he  left  Pennsylvania 
v>  fulfill  ihi.s  jiii.ssioD  on  June  8,  1755.    His  mode  of  travel  was 
)orsoback,  nn(\  for  two  weary  months  ho  wended  his  way  through 


6 


Peons^l^hU  and  Virginia*  enduriny  many  bardshiDs  and  dau- 
Iferav  Wor©  ha  reached  North  Carolina,  -The  French  and  Indian 
^r»  were  now  ia  loll  blaab.  and  on  his  way  in  Virginia  ha  heard  - 
.of  Braddock^s  defeat  whicb  greatly  diacourajjed  him,  and  he  saw 
scattered  families  panio-strickeBi^IlSiag  rude  fort»Jor  pro-: 
teetkn  ^againat  the  Sa?ft^s,' whose  deadlr  tomahaWk  was  bnsy- 

^9^11  l2ihaman.r  murders.  -  He  says  ia  ifi»  Jonmal,  • 'Alone  in  the 
IsiiAiinMftii  Shall  I  go  on,  or  ahatl  I  tnra  baclc?"  He  datermiced, 

J^liil*  f^flMW  of  God«  to  pnsb  oh,  trnsiin^  in  the  Lord  for  portec- 
and  support .   He  aays^  ''socaetimes  a  kouse  in  tea  miles,  and 
BOiMt^mes^xwfe  that,"  but  he  pushed  on,  for  the  glory  of  Grod  and 

^bsmmaod  ot  men.   He  reached  the  borders  of  this  State  abont  the 
®r«fe^«f  Aiignst,  aad  oa  Augn^st  3,  17&5  b&preached  bis  first 
aiMW  is  North  t'^Caroilna  at  tbe  home  of  Solomon  Pebowon  the 

|IN^  McAtfen'Mys  be  crotMid  tbe^  Dan  River  five  miles  abore  the 
iMiib  of  Capt.  Moore  in  Halifax  Co.,  Va.   Therefore,  if  this  be 
yemtitmii.  sine*  the  hooe  oEMr.  Debow  was  in  N.  C,  that  bouse 
l|pM^)MK««been'on  the  northern  edge  of  Person  Co.,  not  far  from 
%i(-|Hliat  where  the  Hico  River  erosaes  the  State  line,  and  net  far 
^«HLibe  railroad  station  called  Altos,  Va.   On  Aug.  6th.  he  left  the 
himmnl  Mr.  Debow,  and  bo  says,  "I  rode  ten  miles  to  the  Chapel  oa 
Jw^il  Hico,  where  I  preached  to  asumber  of  Chu  rch  people  and 
^4|aq||Fy«ftbyterians.    After  the  s<^rmo]n.:t<hey  seemed  exceedingly 
.  ^iMd^  snd  returned  abundance  of  thanks  t^.)^mj  sermon,  and 
vllBPlMWtly  entreated  me  by  all  means  to  caU  ui>oa  them  aa  I  came 
^mtit  and  showed  a  very  great  desire  j^bat  liU  ou2  Ministers  sho^ii^d 
Qpon  them  as  thev  travel  ba»k  and  forward." 

J*?ow  then,'  iS--  is  a  matt«r  of  great  Interest  to  us  to  know  jnat 
^^•re  this,  "the  Chapel  on  Soutk  Hico"  was  located.  The  Hico 
^Sver,  proper,  is  formed* By  the  jaactioo  of  two  streams,  one  ot 
«?ii»cb  is  called  "Hice  Ci^ek,"  flows  in  a  nortb-e*9terly  direction 
ilarough  the  eastern  side  ofCaawall  county,  and  the  oiber  stream 
'§smfi  in  a  northern  direction  tbroush  the  western  aide  of  Person 
County,  and  the  two  streams  form  a  junction  in  tba  northwestern 
t>^Tt  of  Person  county  making  the  "Hico  Hiver,"  and  this  junction 
M  tiie  two  streams  is  about  four  or  fve  miles  directly- east  of 
Semora,  N.C.,which  is  the  Po?it085ce  ofthQR8d  Hoasecburcb-  The 


"Hico  CrseW,"  from  this  junction  in  Person  County  up  to  its  be- 
ginnings In  Caswell  County,  was  evidently  called  "South  Hico," 
&n4  filonfc  this  sirQam,  more  than  a  hundred  years  aKO,  there  were 
three  Preabytarlan  Churchea,  The  Greer's  Church  was  called 
''Upper  Hico,"  tha  Red  House  Church  was  called  "AJiddle  Hico," 
and  tha  "Barnet^'a  Church"  was  called  "IjOwarHico."  The  latter 
Church  was  Iri,  Person  County  and  was  very  large  efc  one  time, 
find  perhaps  It  ivss  not  very  far  from  the  home  of  Mr,  Debow,  but 
it  has  long  since  ceaaed  to  exist  as  a  Presbyterian  Church.  The 
name  ^'Middle  Hico"  was  changed  to  "Red  House"  about  the  year 

-18C6,  during  tha  ministry  of  Rev.  Hugh  Shaw.  I  have  said  these 
particular  thinp^a  that  we  might  locate,  if  possible,  "the  Chapel"  at 
which  Mr.  McAden  preached  one  hundred  and  fifty-eierlit  years 
ftj?o.   Let  ua  now  remember  that.fct  it  is  nine  miles  by  rail  from 

"Alton,  Va.,  te  femora,  N.  C,  and  one  mile  from  Semora  to  Red 
House  Church.  And  if  Mr.  Debow  lived  on  the  south  side  of  tha 
Hico  Kivnr,  somowliero  about  opposite  Alton,  Va,,  then  wo  know 
that  the  distance  from  that  point  to  tha  Red  House  Churcl^  is  just 
about  ten  nillei^,  the  same  distance  covered  by  Mr.  McAden  from 
Mr.  Debow'$  home  to  theClhapel  on  South  Hico.  Therefore,  we 
conclude,  and  Indeed  we  are  convinced,  that  "the  Chapel"  was 
hone  other  than  the  ori{»inal  "Middle  Hieo"  aad  present  Red 
House  Chofch.  This  Chapel  was  perhaps,  an  organized  Church 
at  this  very  feJme. 

Mr.  McA<3eaj,.4Mfcya  he  went  home  from  preaohing  with  Mr. 
Aaron  Vanhaolt,  five  miles,  and  thenca  to  Eno,  "about  twenty 
miles,"  and  we  know  It  is  just  about,  twenty  miles  from  here  to 
Eno  Church  In  Orange  County. 

Mr.  McAdea  then  went  to  the  Hawflelda  Church,  and  havinpr 
preached  at  End  and  Hawfielda,  he  went  across  Orange  Co.  into 
Granville  Conn ty  on  the  Tar  River,, tbence  to  Grassy  Creek  and 
Plshlnj?  Creek,  and  tlicnce  ha  returned  to  the  En^i-,5^nd  Hawfielda 
settlements.  He  then  went  to  the  Buffalo  settlement  in  Guilford 
County,  and  thence  throupfh  Davidson,  Rowan  and  Cabarrus 
Counties  into  Mecklenburg  County.  From  here  he  went  into  the 
land  of  the  Catawba  Indians  in  South  Carolina,  and  returned  again 
to  Mecklenburg  County.  He  then  went  to  the  Scotch  settlements 
on  the  Cape  Fear  River,  and  reraained  for  some  time  in  Cumber- 


land  County.  He  went  from  here  down  the  Cape  Pear  River  to 
Wilmington,  and  thence  up  through  Pender  County  into  Duplin 
County.  In  that  section  of  the  country  there  was  a  region  known 
as  the  "Welsh  Tract,"  where  there  were  a  large  number  of  Pres- 
byterians and  also  in  Duplin  County  there  was  a  place  or  Church, 
known  as  **Goshen,"  or  "Goahen  Grove,"  where  there  were  a 
large  number  of  Presbyterians  "pretty  well  organized." '  Tha 
people,  in  connection  with  the  "Welsh  Tract"  people,  earnestly 
entreated  him  to  remain  with  them,  and  they  jointly  made  cut  a 
call  for  him  to  become  their  pastor.  Mr.  McAden  then  went 
across  the  eastern  part  of  the  State,  and  back  again  into  Gran- 
ville County,  and  thence  across  the  country,  and  no  doubt  by  this 
place,  to  Eno  and  Ilawfields  again.  From  there  he  returned  to 
Mr.  Vanhook'fl  house,  and  on  ^fay  2,  1756,  he  preached  at  the 
home  of  Mr.  John  McParland  on  the  Hico  River,  and  on  May  6, 
1756  he  took  hin  departure  from  North  Carolina,  being  accom- 
panied as  far  as  Dan  River  by  Mr.  Solomon  Debow. 

Mr.  McAden  was  in  North  Carolina  exactly  nine  months  during 
this  trip,  preaching  almost  daily  to  numerous  scattered  people  and 
al  numerous  places.  His  compensatioa  was  exceedingly  meagre, 
and  he  had  to  endure  all  sorts  of  hardships  and  dangers,  and  yet 
aot  a  murmur  or  note  of  complaint  fell  from  his  lips.  At  this 
early  j>«riod  in  the  history  of  our  country,  there  were  but  few 
r<«Ads,  no  mode  of  travel  but  horseback,  no  mail  facilities,  and  the 
*'-*>ontry  was  infested  with  hostile  tribes  of -Indians.  Surely  it 
fs^uirf^d  a  brave  heart,  filled  with  the  love  of  God  and  a  passion 
fsjr  the  salvation  of  immortal  souls,  to  do  these  things. 

Mr.  McAden  returned  to  Pennsylvania  and  soon  afterwards  ac- 
cepted, if  he  had  not  already  done  so,  the  calls  to  Eastern  North 
Carolina.  We  do  not  Know  the  exact  date  of  his  ordination,  neither 
do  we  know  the  exact  date  of 'his  return  to  Duplin  Co.,N.  C.  Mr. 
Footo  in  his  sketches  of  N.  C,  sa^s  he  was  ordained  by  New  Castla 
Pre.>ibytery  in  1757,  and  dismissed  to  Hanover  Presbytery  in  1759. 
But  Dr.  Hodge,  in  his  History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  records 
him  as  a  Member  of  Hanover  Presbytery  in  1758.  Since  he  re- 
turned to  Pennsylvania  early  in  May  1758,  it  would  seem  moat 
probable  that  he  was  ordained  sometime  during  the  summer  or 
fall  17ii8,  or  early  in  1757.    It  is  generally  conceded,  however,  that 


hn  wa3  at  his  post  as  Pastor,  in  Duplin  County  in  the  year  1757, 
Thus  he  became  the.  first  pioneer  Missionary  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  who  permautly  settled  in  the  State  of  North  Carolina. 

It  is  said  that  the  Rev.  James  Campbell,  who  was  not  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Northern  Synods,  came  to  North  Carolina  and  settled 
among  the  Scotch  Irish,  on  the  Cape  Fear  Riv6r,  in  the  year  1757. 
It  is  a  question,  probably  never  to  be  settled,  which  of  the  two 
men  actually  set  up  housekeeping  First  in  the  State?  But  from 
all  the  information  I  have  been  able  to  gather,  I  am  satisfied 
that  McAden  was  not  only  the  first  Presbyterian  Missionary,  but 
the  tirst  Presbyterian  Minister  to  permantly  locate  in  North  Caro- 
lina. 

He  remained  with  his  charge  in  Duplin  Covinty  about  tea  y&ars,  < 
until  1767  or  1768.  At  a  meeting  of  Hanover  Presbytery  at  Buffalo 
Church  in  Guilford  County,  March  2,  1763,  he  accepted  the  call 
from  "Hyco — (Red  House),  Dan  River  and  Conntry  Line"  Churches 
and  it  is  almost  certain  that  he  had  already  moved  to  this  neigh- 
borhood before  that  date.  Mr.  McAden  lived  here  faithfully 
preaching  the  Word,  and  ministring  to  the  people  for  at  least 
thirteen  years,  and  on  January  20,  1781  his  spirit  went  home  to 
God,  to  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament  in  his  kingdom 
of  glory  forever  and  ever.  One  of  his  sons.  Dr.  John  McAden,  in 
a  letter  written  in  1845,  says — "My  father  was  a  very  systematic 
man.  once  a  year  he  visited  with  his  Elders  all  the  families  of  the 
Church,  and  had  worship  with  them,  once  a  year  he  catehiaed  the 
young  people,  and  three  days  in  the  week  he  spent  in  special 
study,  and  if  he  walked  in  the  fields,  he  always  carried  his  Bible 
with  him".  In  his  Journal  there  are  many  short  and  tender 
prayers  for  the  people,  and  for  God's  blessing  upon  his  efforts  to 
sive  souls, esiDft^l illy  when  he  saw  evidences  of  the  Spirit's  power_ 

Surely  he  was  a  wise  man,  living  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  turn- 
ing many  to  righteousness,  and  surely  he  shall  shine  in  the  king, 
dom  of  God's  glory  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament  forever 
and  ever,  and  in  the  estimation  of  men  as  the  stars  forever  and 
ever.  Surely  he  v/as  one  "to  be  in  everlasting  remembrance" 
and  this  monnrnont  over  his  grave,  which  wo  unveil  today,' will  tell 


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to  succeeding  generations  somethingatleast,  of  his  great  and  noble 
life,  and  of  his  faithful  and  consecrated  service  for  the  Master. 

O  ye  sons  and  daughters  of  this  historic  old  Red  House  Church 
let  us  not  be  satisfied  to  strive  and  toil  and  suffer  to  reach  heaven, 
only  empty-handed;  but  let  us  go  forth,  as  "wise  men  and  v7omen 
bearing  precious  seed  and  doubtless  we  shall  come  again  rejoicing 
bringing  our  sheaves  wifeh  us,  and  we  too  "shall  be  in  everlasting 
remembrance".  c        ;  ^  v 

'  D.  I.  CRAIG. 


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